Apr 249 min read

By Frenzy I Ruin by Cora Reilly

By Frenzy I Ruin

by Cora Reilly

Self-Published

Book 5 in the Sins of the Fathers Series

Aurora Scuderi spent her childhood and teenage days doing one thing-- loving Nevio.

Until one fateful moment, he breaks her heart without a second thought. Leaving Aurora with her broken heart bleeding in her hands. Fleeing Las Vegas is the only way for Aurora to heal - forget Nevio and that night. But a man like Nevio can’t be shaken off that easily. The hunter in him was awakened.Nevio Falcone is darkness. It seeps from his pores. It’s where his monster comes out to play to satisfy its cravings. Until he starts to crave something other than the one woman he shouldn’t pursue - Aurora.What Nevio craves, he ruins. He told her to keep her distance. Now it’s too late to run away. Consequences be damned.

Genre #MafiaRomance

#DarkRomance #InterconnectedRomance

Triggers

Extreme violence, murder, blood and gore, stalking

I've been craving a Cora Reilly book, so I was thrilled when I saw that By Frenzy I Ruin recently released.

And like father like son, I really was looking forward to Nevio and Aurora's story. It was just as delightfully messed up as Nevio's parents story ... which, coincidentally is my favorite of the Camorra Chronicles.

Before I get into what I didn't like about the book, let me tell you what I loved.

Which was, to be fair, most of the book.

Cora didn't hold back. She didn't romanticize Nevio. He has always been alluded to being ... well ... psychotic? I was curious as to how she would write a romance with him as the love interest, but Cora did it. It was unexpected, how she managed to write a romance involving someone who doesn't have a shred of romance in him. I ultimately enjoyed his point of views, and his overall arc. I even grew to love his POV header - a picture of his famous tattoo of the Joker's face with HA HA HA HA HA around it - which is a big deal, because I'm a big ol' baby and the Joker freaks me out.

I also loved Aurora's arc. Did I love all the choice's she made? No. I'm not reading these books because I want to read perfect characters. Honestly, I love how messy they are. I liked her, though.

Her loyalty. Her caring nature. The backbone she finally built up after everything she had been through. Her self-awareness to her weaknesses and strengths, especially in regards to Nevio.

As for romance - well, there wasn't really much romance. There was tension. There was sex. There was obsession.

But it made sense for the characters. Or rather, Nevio.

What I didn't love, was that despite the length of this book - over 500 pages - the ending was rushing. I didn't understand how Nevio got to where he was by the end of the book. I would have loved a chapter or two of him getting to the point of where he is in the end. He is such a complicated character, and by skipping over this time period, where he obviously learns a lot about himself, it makes him feel disingenuous.

I don't want that for him, or for Aurora. Or any of the Camorra characters.

In the end, I really loved this book. If I could put aside that time jump in the end where Nevio obviously does some real soul searching, it would have been a five star. Everything else though, I adored, and I can't wait for Cora to release the next book in the series!

Nevio: "I have absolutely no interest in Rory. She reeks of innocence. Her clumsiness even triggers my protective side. It's not sexy. I don't do pity fucking."

Alessio: "You don't do pity anything. As long as she doesn't accidentally fall on your dick, everything's good."

Nevio: "It's more likely that I accidentally fuck you in the ass, asshole, all right?"

Alessio: "Then my cyclone knife is going to impale you."

I shrugged.

Nevio: "That'll only get me off sooner. Pain and pleasure, nothing beats that."

Nevio dropped his hands and leaned down to my ear.

Nevio: "This is a gift between friends, Rory. Remember the warnings your mother tells you about me. A mother's instinct rarely lies.

Serafina: "What did I do to deserve this?"

Mom sighed.

Nevio: "You fell in love with your kidnapper, which is never advisable."

Mom gave me a look that suggested she wasn't as opposed to violence as she liked to pretend.

Nino cleared his throat.

Nino: "His ulna is broken."

Remo: "He can stand the pain."

He was pissed, really pissed, and I doubted he really knew what had happened, or he would have broken my wrist and every finger too.

I grinned.

Nevio: "I get off on it like you, Dad."

Remo: "Careful."

Remo: "I always feared how my genes would come to play in a child, and you surpassed every fear I had."

Matteo: "Maybe there was someone there who made her feel uncomfortable. I don't want to be the poor woman Nevio puts his sights on."

Aurora: "Nevio hasn't set his sights on me. Nevio only cares about the Camorra and violence."

Matteo gave me a shark grin.

Matteo: "That's what everyone said about his old man too, and then he kidnapped a poor woman, and now they live their happily ever after."

Remo: "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Dad snarled the second my door was closed.

Nevio: "We both know the list is long."

Remo: "Just give me one reasons for this major fuckup. One sane reason that maybe makes me want to send you away a little less."

Nevio: "I wanted to show Aurora that I wouldn't give her up just because she ran away."

Dad glanced at me, his lack of understanding as plain as day on his face.

Remo: "What do you want from her? And if your answer is anything less than marry her, then don't say anything, and for fuck's sake, let that girl be. She's Fabiano's daughter. If you want to mess with a girl's life, pick another. This is my last warning, Nevio. I won't risk losing Fabiano because you got it in your head to give chase simply because she started running."

I kept my mouth shut because fuck if I knew what I wanted with Aurora. I couldn't let her go. I knew that, and the consequences? Fuck, they would hopefully be worth it.

Nevio; "You're trying to protect him."

Aurora: "Are you jealous?"

I asked scathingly.

Nevio's smile sent a chill down my back.

Nevio: "I don't get jealous, Rory. I get murderous."

Aurora: "You can't kill everyone who talks to me."

Nevio: "Who's going to stop me?"

Aurora: "He was a normal guy. He was just flirting. He didn't do anything, certainly nothing to deserve his death. What's wrong with you."

Nevio: "The list is very long. I warned you to stay away from me, Rory. I really tried to keep you out of my head. He wanted the wrong girl, and I don't play games."

Nevio: "I was the first inside you, and I'll be the last one."

Until the words shot from my mouth, they hadn't even been in my mind. I hadn't given much room for thoughts of the future, had lived in the moment, but now I knew these words to be true. I wanted to be Aurora's last, and no matter how brutal I had to be, I'd make sure I was.

Aurora: "You don't deserve any part of me."

she growled.

Nevio: "Fuck, that's why I always told you to stay away from me, but you wouldn't listen, and now it's too late, Rory. You're in my fucking head, and there's no escaping from there."

Her lips parted, her brows snatching together as her eyes roamed my face. She was trying to understand me, but that was something she'd never do. Even I didn't.

Nevio: "Now I'll have to hurt everyone who gets too close to you."

She shook her head slowly.

Nevio: "Because while I still think you should stay the fuck away from me, unfortunately, I can't stay away from you. And even if I don't deserve any part of you, every single part only belongs to me."

Adamo: "I don't know what's going on, and I'm really not sure I want to, but maybe you should consider the consequences of your actions for once. This isn't just anyone. This is Aurora Scuderi, and her dad is like our family. Consider what you risk destroying, and ask yourself, is it worth it?"

My smile had become harder to maintain. I knew what was on the line. I also knew it wouldn't stop me.

Nevio: "Oh Rory, I hope you're not dreaming about poor Gigimo, or I'll have to end his miserable life tonight."

Aurora: "What about the mother? Where is she?"

Nevio: "Ran off."

Aurora: "What's his name?"

Nevio: "I didn't ask."

Aurora: "And I don't suppose you have a way to find his mother and ask?"

Nevio: "She's probably halfway to Mexico by now. I might have tried to kill her a little."

Aurora: "How can you kill someone a little?"

Nevio: "She's still alive."

Nevio: "We're not enemies, Rory. Not friends either. Friends don't want to do what I want to do to you."

Nevio: "There's nothing you haven't already seen."

Aurora: "For your information, I didn't really pay close attention to that part of you."

Nevio: "That's a great loss."

With a sigh, I picked up the spoon and dipped it in the food. Battista allowed me to feed him, even if his eyes kept moving to the bathroom door, waiting for Aurora's return.

Nevio: "You and me both, buddy."

My heart ached and my belly felt hollow as I considered what this meant. I'd made my boundaries very clear to Nevio, and I wouldn't budge this time. I didn't care if my body burned up for his touch or my dreams replayed the pleasure he'd given me. I didn't care if this meant giving up on Nevio and me for good because the other option meant giving up on me. I wouldn't do that, not even for Nevio. He had done nothing to deserve it, and I doubted there was ever a moment when someone was truly worth it to give up one everything that makes you you.

Savio: "Who would have thought that Nevio would be the one to cause a sex scandal. It should have been me."

Remo: "You could still cause one, but Gemma would rip you a new one, and I'd help her."

Serafina: "I don't think she wants presents from you. She wants you to be there for Battista and prove to her that you really care about her."

Nevio: "That's what she said?"

Serafina: "That's what any woman would expect from a man."

I smirked.

Nevio: "I've gone through some self-improvements."

Remo: "I hope those updates are better than the ones on my phone because those are making me murderous."

When she pulled back, she slapped my chest hard.

Serafina: "Don't you dare leave again."

Nevio: "I won't."

She looked down at her now wet bathrobe, then up at me.

Serafina: "You're dripping water all over the floor."

Nevio: "I missed your early morning nagging the most."

She slapped my chest again.

Aurora: "He's a Falcone. On paper and by blood."

Serafina: "And by heart he's yours."

Serafina: "I know he's more than most can handle. I know he has many faults. I know in many people's eyes, he's beyond redemption, but so was his father. Still is in most people's eyes. I hated him for a while, then hated and loved him, and eventually I just loved him. It hasn't always been easy, but I've never regretted becoming Remo's wife, or accepting his love, and who he was and will always be."

Ballista rushed over to her with a big grin and she hugged him tightly.

Serafina: "I smell fries."

I shook my head.

Nevio: "Can you help me bathe him before Aurora returns?"

Serafina: "She won't be mad that you gave him fast food."

Nevio: "At the moment she likes to be mad at me."

Nevio: "All right then. How about we two go on a date?"

I began to shake my head, but Nevio kept talking.

Nevio: "An innocent date, without any knife play or other kinky stuff. And no other fun activities involving our nether regions either, unless you want to."

Aurora: "I don't -"

Nevio: "I washed the smell of fries off him, okay? We had our dinner at Shake Shack, and I forgot to brush his teeth after.:

I couldn't help but laugh.

Aurora: "And you think that will make me say yes to a date?"

Nevio: "I thought honesty would."

His smile still promised trouble, and I had serious doubts Nevio would manage a whole date without trying to seduce me, but I felt myself nodding.

Aurora: "Okay, but no funny business."

Nevio: "We won't have any fun, if that's what you want,"

he said with a smile.

Fabiano: "I don't know why an intelligent, nice girl like Aurora picks someone like you."

Nevio: "Bad boys do it better."

Nevio: "Patience, Rory. Weren't you the one who wanted to wait with the physical part of our relationship?"

I sank my teeth into his lower lip, nicking his skin.

Aurora: "Oh, shut up."

Nevio: "What does it say about you that you made a monster fall in love with you?"

Aurora's eyes widened a fraction, her breath halting. She swallowed noisily, and a small smile tugged at her lovely lips.

Aurora: "What does it say about me that I fell in love with a monster?"

Leona: "Your dad and I know you're dating Nevio."

Dad grimaced.

Fabiano: "My worst nightmare come true."

Aurora: "What changed your mind about marriage?"

Nevio: "Every day I spent with you did. Maybe marriage isn't necessary, but so many things in life aren't. I just wanted to call you my wife. It's fucking as simple as that. And your name will sound fabulous. Aurora Falcone.